Second Chances
by Genevive Roeschley
Summary: After finally getting her world back together, what will happen when Sakura's past catches up to her and Syaoran tries to mend the broken pieces that he left behind?  A tale of love felt unrequited and left abandoned, only to be revived once again.


**A/N**: This is my first Fan Fic, and I have not written a fiction story in years. Hopefully, you guys will enjoy this. Please R&R. All comments and criticism are welcomed.

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own CCS or any of its characters. All that belongs to CLAMP.

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_Can love really stand through the "test of time"?_

This question has haunted her for so long. Five years after a horrible break-up, having to deal with the death of a parent, loved ones moving away, is it better to still believe in a thing called "love"? Would it not be better to move on, than to stay in the abyss of the sorrowful past?

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**PROLOGUE**

She is alone. Sitting on her bed, she feels the familiar emptiness surround her. The only place she can feel loving affection is through her memories, the same memories that keep her feeling cold and abandoned. Trying not to recall any good memories, she reminds herself of the night when the man she loves walked out on her. This is the only memory Sakura feels she can recollect without having the desire to want her past come back to her. Reminding herself of the death of her father would only want Sakura want her family back, but remembering herself of that cold night in September will make her want to move on.

xxx

_Sakura hears her doorbell ring and a knock on her door. Sitting in front of her t.v., she checks the time on her cellphone. 10:43PM. 'It's late, I wonder who it could be.' The knock seemed so urgent._

_While straightening her shirt, she walks towards her front door to find herself opening it for her childhood best friend and long-time boyfriend._

_"Hey! What are you doing here so late? Is everything alright?"_

_Sakura can see traces of uncertainty, anguish, and hesitance in his eyes. That's when she notices his tense posture. 'I wonder what's wrong with him; I've never seen him like this in so long.'_

_"Um...would you like to come in?" She motions for him to enter her house, glad that her father is on a trip and brother away for school. He glares at her, then finally nods and follows her into her living room. She resumes sitting on the couch that she was just sitting on. He, on the other hand, takes a seat on the sofa that's adjacent to her. 'That's new. He usually sits beside me. I wonder why he's so mad this time. I swear we were fine the last time we talked.'_

_After a few minutes in silence Sakura decides to talk first, "Hey, it's late, is everything alright?"_

_"We need to talk."_

_"O-okay. What's up?" Sakura is feeling uncertain; he has never been this hesitant and tense around her, maybe around others but never her. He also doesn't just show up at her house without contacting her first. Something must be up._

_"Don't worry I won't take up much of your time. I'll try to be straight to the point." He pauses, sighing loudly, "Do you love me?" She is taken aback by his comment. 'What kind of question is that? Of course I do, he knows that!' _

_"What brings this question up? You know I do. I thought you already know that." _

_For a quick moment, Sakura notices his body relaxing then tensing up even more. It seems that he is trying to hold back all his feelings. "I'll keep my word, and be straight to the point. Kinomoto, I don't think you should love me. I—"_

_"What? Why not? How about all the things we have gone through? How could I not love you after all those things?" She didn't mean to cut him off, but fury is raging in her body. He was never this formal to her, nor did he ever refer to her by her last name since they first met._

_As if understanding her thoughts, he relaxes a bit, but tightens his balled fist. "...I don't think you should love me because I don't love you. I never did. I only said the things I said, and did the things I did because I pitied you. But I think enough is enough. I'm tired of this charade Kino— Sakura."_

_Silence hangs in the air; Sakura doesn't know what to say. She has been so sure that he loves her, so this revelation never once occurred in her mind. All her time with him he has spent trying to prove his love for her, now he's retracting everything. She feels her tears well up as it begins stinging her eyes. No. She can't cry in front of him._

_But it hurts so much. How can a few sentences make her feel like her whole body is being torn apart? If she weren't sitting right now, she would have collapsed as her knees become weak. She instantly wipes her face. A tear drop. She didn't realize her tear had escaped the dam she built to keep her tears from streaming down her face._

_"I don't understand. Look, I'm really tired. Can't we talk about this tomorrow? I want to hear the whole story." Her voice is hardly a whisper. Her emotions are tiring her out._

_"There is no story. It is what it is Sakura. I'm not going to repeat myself. And no we can't talk tomorrow. I'm leaving for Hong Kong in a few hours."_

_He gets up, and heads for the front door. Sakura follows him, without saying a word. Opening the door to him, she sees a contrast. She is inside where it is warm and bright, while he is heading out into the cold, dark night._

_Without looking back he whispers, "I don't love you...I never have and never will. I hope you move on." She was barely able to make out the last part, as his voice dropped even more. He continues to walk into the darkness; the only thing visible now is his silhouette casted by the street lamps above him._

_And with that, Sakura's tears let loose and feels her face warmed by them. She stands in front of her doorway much longer, watching his form moving away. She can't seem to pry herself from where she stands just watching his retreating form, hoping that he will look back. But not once does he look. Once he's out of sight, she manages to lock the door and get herself into her room._

_Shocked and frozen, she cries into her pillow letting out the sobs and wails that she couldn't get off her chest while he was around. She can't help it, but her body shakes as each sob leaves her body. This night will be the first night where she cries herself to sleep._

xxx

Her heart twists and aches. She has been abandoned by the ones that she counted on. She lays her head down on her already soaked pillow and pulls her comforter over her head, hoping that it can shield her from the world. Feeling as dark as the night that shadows her body she looks back at all that she has gone through. How can something once so beautiful hurt? Something that once was, linger and continue to suck the life out of a person? Having no comfort; with the feeling of cold and loneliness surround her, she finally knows the answer. "Love cannot stand through the test of time. It's been five years of pathetic pain." Tired of her weakness, she convinces herself that love cannot stand through everything as they say...not unless what they had wasn't really love. Either way, regardless of whether it was love or wasn't love, it's still the same to Sakura. At the end of the day she'll still be in the pit of her anguish. She needs to move on.

"This is the last time. I need to give up on him...on us," she vows to herself as she cries herself to sleep for the last time.

"Goodbye Li Syaoran."


End file.
